1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tools useful in plumbing assembly, and more particularly to manually adjustable structures insertable under the free edges of a cantilevered sinks and the like while plumbing connections are effected to the drain openings thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The plumbing connection below a sink often include complex geometries confined in a small space that are sometimes compounded by items like a food debris macerators, or garbage disposal, in current implementation comprises an electromechanical structure of some bulk and mass. While many improvements have made to render these devices and their plumbing quite reliable, the complex nature of the mechanism and the frequency of its use and abuse make it an item of frequent attention. Most often this attention requires removal and replacement, or re-installation following repair, of the device to the underside of the sink drain opening, a task requiring manipulation of a fairly heavy and cumbersome article within the narrow and crowded confines of the cavity under the sink.
Various tools have been devised in the past that assist in this difficult task most often taking the form of a threaded puller supported over the drain opening and extending through the drain fitting to suspend the macerator. Examples of such prior art devices can be found in the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,229 to Ricci, U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,853 to Herook and others. While suitable for the purposes intended support mechanisms of this nature typically deploy the adjustment elements of the tool on top of or inside the sink cavity while all the alignments are made within the cabinet under the sink. This distant adjustment facility of these prior art devices has rendered their use less than fully convenient.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the alignment task of a disposal installation entails several aspects, including the attachments of the disposal to the sink flange, the connection of electrical leads and also the connection of the various drain lines. These tasks are all effected within the narrow confines of the sink cabinet. A disposal support mechanism that is conveniently manipulated with one hand while the other elements are brought out for connection with the other is therefore extensively desired. Significantly, these same tool adjustment attributes can be also utilized in other plumbing tasks. For example, those engaged in effecting plumbing connections beneath a cantilevered sink assembly will appreciate that such can only be accessed once the supporting pedestal is moved to the side, requiring some upward lifting of the free edge of the sink to provide both support and movement clearance adjustment to move the pedestal to the side. These concurrent functions and the tight quarters dictate one-handed tool manipulation and a mechanism that provides these attributes is extensively sought.